You may copy this course for self-study purposes or to pass along to colleagues, but please credit ACT CISM.

If you complete the written exercises and email to ACT CISM, you will receive a certificate of completion.  In Australia a signed certificate will be mailed to your postal address.  (For other countries we will email a certificate).

THE REAL STRESS STORY...
Stress is your reaction to demands or pressures placed on you by your environment, a physical response to environmental change.  These demands and pressures are called "stressors".  STRESS is a NATURAL and NORMAL physical function.  So - stress is any "demand" that requires personal action.

These demands can be changes in our external environment.  For example you might need to hurry over to an emergency. In this case the STRESSOR (the occurrence or object that causes a demand) is the emergency.   Your RESPONSE was to attend and provide first aid.

But the stressor doesn't need to be an emergency.  A stressor can also be an ordinary everyday occurrence.  For example someone might ask you to attend a meeting at lunch time.  In this situation the stressor is the person's request.  Your response might be a decision to attend that meeting.

Stressors can also be internal cues, not just influences from 'outside of you'  - but things like illness or emotions.

In order to be able to make these responses, you require energy.  The energy is provided by your body - whenever you perceive a need for it.   If you PERCEIVE something is a big problem, a big drama, your body will release a great deal of energy.  After all - you THINK you are going to need it!   So with the emergency stressor your body would probably have released a lot of energy.   But with the meeting stressor your body would probably have released a much smaller amount.  Note that the word 'probably' was used.   Because it is really our PERCEPTION of the stressor that regulates how much energy will be released.

Imagine that you are having an extremely busy day.  Lots of things have gone wrong, and you've had a disagreement with a colleague.  Now how do you react when someone asks you to make time for a meeting?

PAGE 1 0F 9

NEXT PAGE